Personalizing Your RV

As human beings we like to put our personal mark on our things.  We like custom homes, or seek to customize our tract homes to reflect our personal  preferences.  We create gardens and landscaping to suit our taste.  We customize our wardrobes and our appearance.  We trick out our rides.  Our RVs are no different.  They just require some alternate approaches than our homes and cars.

Personalizing your RV is more like personalizing your residence than personalizing the family car.  Because of the high cost of exterior paint jobs on such big rigs, you will probably not want to change the color or paint scheme of your RV.  But you might add some decals, stripes, or hand-painted graphics to express your preferences.   I've seen a variety of beautiful wild animal decals and we chose an eagle to put on the spare tire cover on our Southwind Eagle 1 motorhome.   I've used ordinary colored (red/white/blue) vinyl electrical tape to add a patriotic highlight stripe so some of my RVs.  Its actually a bit heavier than vinyl striping tape and I was pleasantly surprised at how long lasting the adhesive was, even in sun,rain, and snow.  Professional vinyl striping tape is available in a variety of widths and colors to match, highlight, or complement existing color schemes..  A popular upgrade that is not TOO expensive is to switch from hub caps or wheel covers to wheel simulators, which look like custom rims and add a lot of class to older rigs.  Awnings are a popular option, both large patio-style awnings and window awnings.  You can add exterior lights to improve campsite illumination or light up other areas of activity.   Some RV, OHV, and camping clubs have logos you can post on your vehicle or you may be able to have your own custom made signs for your club or family name.  Be sure to check prices on-line.  I found significant savings by buying my first "Desert Rat" decal on ebay compared to my local sign shop.  My apologies to sign shop owners, but a difference of about 400% is significant!   My cheap letters lasted about 10-12 years before I replaced them.  This time I opted for a more elaborate design with a graphic desert background.   It is made from the same material as commercial vehicle wraps and should last a very long time.

Internal personalization is a little more flexible.   Once again, you probably won't like the cost of a complete internal make-over.  New upholstery, cabinets, and carpets can be quite costly but can also be very satisfying.  Same with changing out furniture and major appliances.  If your RV interior is in really bad shape a complete make-over might be justified, but if most if it is in reasonably good condition, I'd stick to less costly modifications, such as painting appliances instead of replacing them. Unless you are experienced in upholstery you'll probably want to enlist a professional for major repairs or upgrades to that part of your RV.   Few people have the skill or the heavy duty sewing machines required to to upholstery.  Slip covers are often used in homes to cover worn, outdated, or unsightly furniture.  You seldom see that in an RV but it might be worth a try.  I've seen people use colorful Indian or Mexican blankets to cover worn sofas or dinettes temporarily.  You might consider dyeing faded carpets to improve the appearance or change the color scheme.  However, you can work wonders with new curtains or drapes or bedspreads and shams.  You can add or change a shower curtain and mats in the bathroom.   You could paint or wallpaper some interior walls. You might use wallpaper border to highlight your favorite activities.  My truck camper came with a fishing motif all around the top of the cab over sleeping area.   Since I'm not an avid fisherman, I opted to replace it with a dirt bike theme in keeping with my family's primary recreational pursuit.  Wallpaper borders are pretty easy to work with.  Just came across a new trick for removing old wallpaper: use a capful of fabric softener in a quart of water, spray the old wallpaper, and let it sit for a few minutes.   It should peel right off.  You can add accessories to meet your particular preferences for kitchen, recreation, and entertainment systems.  Even little things like toothbrush, napkin, paper plate, and match/toothpick holders can make life on the road easier and more fun, keeping oft used things right at your fingertips.   Adding or updating light fixtures is a neat way to make your living space more suitable for your particular activities.   If you go for LED lights  you'll even save electricity and reduce battery drain.  Magazine racks, spice racks, and other wire racks can be installed to help organize your goodies where they'll be easy to use.   Maps, pamphlets, and diaries will get a lot more use when they're handy.   If you're a computer buff, you may want to convert some table, cabinet, or counter space to a dedicated work station.  You can even get computer shelves designed to go on your steering wheel!  12-volt fans, both permanently mounted and portable can add cooling comfort on hot days and redistribute heat where you want it on colder ones.   Entertainment options can range from a simple radio/cassette/CD player to complete home entertainment systems.  An option I recommend for everyone is a NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) radio that gives constant weather updates and alerts.  Adding an electric fireplace/heater is a customization that is becoming more and more popular with RV owners.  They are attractive and often make it more comfortable in cold weather.  You can find them for around $160, sometimes less. We got ours on sale at Harbor Freight for $59.99 and I've seen some at Walmart for $69.99. As long as you have sufficient 120 volt power (shore power or generator) you can enjoy 750 or 1500 watts of heat and a nice fireplace display complete with glowing logs and fake flames that are surprisingly realistic. This one bit of personalization that is functional as well as adding a nice cabin-like ambiance.

Changing the faucets in the kitchen and/or bathroom is a fairly easy and inexpensive way to update the appearance and functionality of your RV.   I find a high "goose neck" bar faucet is handy for filling canteens and Camelbaks and for washing large pots and pans.  Be sure the spacing for your new faucet matches the holes in your sink.  Changing  faucets should be as easy as turning off the water supply, disconnecting the supply lines to the old faucet, removing the nut under the sink that secure the old faucet, then carefully lift it out.  Clean the surface that was under the old faucet.  The new one will probably be a slightly different size or shape.  Slide the new faucet into place.  Install and hand tighten the nuts to secure the new faucet to the sink, then connect the supply lines.  Use teflon plumbers tape on the new faucet to help ensue a good seal but not on compression fittings.  Tighten the connects, turn on your water supply, and enjoy your new faucet!

You might want to customize the dash instruments.   I've seen modifications to change the color of the dash lights.  Sometimes you can buy colored bulbs to replace the existing clear ones or get bulb-dye to color existing bulbs.  Just make sure you don't darken them to where you can no longer read your instruments.  There are a number of additional instruments you might like to try.  I like the big "RoadRanger" compasses and have also found altimeters and clinometers useful.  Some owners like to upgrade the "idiot light" oil pressure indicator to a real oil pressure gauge or add a tachometer. Thermometers that display both inside and outside temperatures are helpful.  I've tried both automotive and residential style indoor/outdoor thermometers and found both to be satisfactory.  The digital, automotive style are especially good if you want to be able to see them when driving.  The residential styles are better installed in the living area to only be used in camp.  Several of my motorhomes came with a simple "weather center" that displays inside temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure.  It is pretty common to find these as part of the systems monitor panel in RVs.   If yours doesn't have one, they're fairly inexpensive and easy to install.  More complete systems might include outside temperature and wind speed.  I always like to have a NOAA weather radio available to monitor local forecasts and pick up storm warnings.  These days you can also get instant weather information on your cell phone or over the Internet if you are in a area where you have a wifi connection.  I have used a program/service called "Weatherbug" at home, but my computer tech tells me it is considered "Malware" and may have a security risk.  It displays current temperature on the status bar and will chime and flash the icon whenever there is a weather alert.  Alerts and warnings include rain, wind, snow, freezing temperatures, winter storms, and high fire danger . Some easy decorator touches include the addition of throw pillows and carpet runners.  Throw covers are an option, but I seldom see them used in RVs.   Probably because they may not stay in place very well during travel. They are, however, extremely useful if you're engaged in activities that would soil your clothing and transfer the dirt to your upholstery.   Throw covers can be removed and washed and its a whole lot easier than shampooing the upholstery.  Sometimes we just wrap the sofa in an old blanket or beach towel if we're anticipating dirty conditions.   Its a lot easier to throw it in the washer when we get home than it is to clean the upholstery and blankets and beach towels are a lot cheaper than new upholstery, especially when they're re-cycled  from home that almost made it into the Goodwill box before being adopted for camping.  Slip-on seat covers are helpful for rejuvenating the driver and co-pilot seats or mitigating the cold feel of vinyl or leather with sheepskin covers.

Toyhaulers and other enclosed recreational equipment trailers often benefit greatly from customization to meet your specific needs.  Adding tool boxes, cabinets, racks, closet rods, tie downs, and peg boards can help you organize your tools, gear, equipment, and spare parts. You can decorate the interior to reflect your chosen sport or OHV lifestyle.  I find functional customization to be the most satisfying but there is nothing wrong with purely cosmetic modifications.   Part of the original decals on one of my motorhomes included red, white, and blue stripes about 1/2" wide.   I was able to add matching stripes to my motorcycle trailer using colored electrical tape.   It has since become a kind of branding we use to mark almost all of our equipment.  Sometimes you can also buy decals or striping tape to match those on your motorhome.  Cosmetic changes like this don't add functionality but they are fun and many people find it pleasing to color coordinate their truck and camper, motorhome and trailer, or other tow vehicle and trailer.  I even adopted the red-white-blue stripe pattern to tag my camp chairs, stoves, lanterns, water jugs, ice chests, and tools making them easy to identify and keep track of around camp.

You may see motorhomes, trailers, and vans with elaborate murals on the sides or rear.  Some of these are factory originals, like the wild animals that grace the rear of many "Safari" motorhomes. The most beautiful and complex murals I've seen have been on custom vans, but the same technique could be used on motorhomes and trailers -- if you have the budget for it or the skill and will to paint it  yourself. Those hand-painted, air-brushed works of art don't come cheap!  Auto paint shops are skilled at painting flames and other geometric designs and may be able to create a custom decoration for your rig, but again, it will probably be relatively expensive.  Unless you are a skilled auto painter you probably won't want to attempt doing any custom graphics yourself.  "Rattle cans" can do a pretty good job repainting limited areas like the highlight stripes on campers and trailers but aren't so good on large areas.  I suspect if I tried it the results would be less artistic than the graffiti on big city buildings, overpasses, and railroad cars.  Vehicle wraps are becoming popular, mostly for advertising, and that might be a way to enhance the exterior of your RV.  But unless it is subsidized somehow by advertising, it will probably be cost prohibitive.  I have a beautiful "Desert Rat" decal on the back of my motorcycle trailer made from the same stuff as vehicle wraps. It is about 3' wide and 1 1/2' tall and cost me under $100.    Wrapping an entire RV would cost thousands.  If you choose to repaint stripes, follow the instructions on the paint can carefully in both preparing the surface and applying the paint.  Mask off areas you don't want to be painted.  Try to keep your hand moving smoothly as you spray.   If you slow down you'll get thick spots.  If you should apply too much paint and it begins to run, I've found I can often gently dab away the runs with a clean soft cloth and repaint the area.  Don't hold the can too close to the surface.  It is better to apply several light coats than one heavy one.  Vinyl stripes are available in a variety of sizes and colors and are easy to apply in straight lines.  Narrow tapes (up to 1/4") can usually be applied to follow curves and, if you have the patience and the touch for it, you can even curve tapes as wide as 3/4" by very gently heating them with a heat gun or blow dryer.  Be very careful if you try this.  The tape will often stretch and become much narrower than its normal size if you pull too hard or too fast or apply too much heat.

Another very functional modification is the addition of shelves or dividers in cabinets to make them easier to use.  Built in shelves are the sturdiest but wire-rack shelving can be easily installed in just about any cabinet to improve organization.

Make it yours!

Water Filters for Camping, RVing and Boating

Water filters will be of most concern to RVers, but even tent campers might benefit from portable water filters to free the water they are getting from campground faucets from sediment etc.  Whether the campground is on a well or a public water system it might contain stuff you'd rather not ingest.  One way to protect yourself and your family is to filter ALL the water you use. Pretty much any filter will remove sediment and really good filters will also remove chemicals and bacteria.  Most of the time you can trust water from campgrounds, but sometimes I've found it to be over-chlorinated or otherwise unpleasant to drink.  Unless you have verified the safety of water in lakes and streams, always assume it it is contaminated and purify it before drinking, washing wounds, or using it for cooking.

Water filters may be just as useful on boats.   Many boats, especially those used for cruising, have on board fresh water sources.  Using filters to fill holding tanks or purify water as it it used is as important on boats as it is in RVs  Some boats used on salt water have water collection systems that either collect rain water or make fresh water from salt water.  In either case a filter might help ensure the quality of water for drinking.  You should always filter water when filling holding tanks to avoid introducing contaminants that could pollute your fresh water supply.

 Water filters will help keep your fresh water fresh. You can use an in-line filter connected between the faucet and your hose when you fill your tank or connect to city water or you might install an internal filter to clean water as it is used.  Filling your fresh water tank with filtered water helps prevent buildup of silt and other contaminants in your fresh water tank.  Some filters even help remove bacteria as well as sediment.  For camping and hiking you might choose a portable water filter.  Filters will remove sediment and some types of bacteria but usually won't remove chemical contaminants or all microbes.  Filtering out sediment will help keep your water clean and tasting pleasant.

Portable in-line filters are individually inexpensive but having to replace them fairly often drives up the overall cost. They are also very convenient to use. They require no permanent installation. You simply screw them onto the faucet, then screw your hose onto the filter and fill your tank or connect to your city water inlet. You could install the filter on the other end of your hose, but it gets in the way of putting the hose into the gravity fill spout on your RV and tends to stress the city water inlet and kink the hose on the side of your RV. If you fill your RV through the city water hookup the filter would stick out and you may risk breaking the plastic mounting plate for the connection.  In-line filters are fairly small (about the same size as the cartridge for a grease gun) and therefore get clogged or used up rather quickly and have to be replaced, but is is an easy way to remove sediment from your water when filling your tanks and jugs or connectiing to city water with no difficult installation procedures.  It is often a small price to pay for convenience. When using an in line filter with your city water connection, still use a pressure regulator between the faucet and the filter.  As the filter begins to clog up you might want to move the pressure regulator to between the filter and the hose.  You always want the pressure regulator where it will protect your hose as well as your RV plumbing.

Whole system or internal filters will cost more initially and require some installation, but the filter elements usually last longer than in-line filters so you don't have to replace them as often and are usually less expensive to replace in the long run. And they are more convenient. Once installed you only need to check and replace the filter now and then. You can buy filter systems designed for RVs at RV supply stores but you can probably get suitable models for less at a home improvement store that can be adapted for RV use. You may have to purchase extra fittings to attach them to the water lines in your RV.   RV plumbing usually is different from residential plumbing and may require special tools or connections. If you have any worries about doing the installation, take it to a qualified RV technician. You will need to find a location where there is enough room for the filter, access to the water lines, and convenient access to replace the filter element. You want to install the filter where water from both the city water connection and the 12-volt pump will pass through it before being distributed to the fixtures in your RV.   Make sure it filters water that goes to the water heater too.  Consider the location when you purchase the filter. Some filters can be opened from the top to replace the element. Some have canisters that need to be unscrewed from the bottom. Make sure the one you buy will be convenient for you to service.  If you have a permanently installed water filter and live in an area where you get freezing winter weather, be sure to winterize your filter along with the rest of your system.  Depending on your personal taste and budget there are many different filter options, including fancy "reverse osmosis" filters, but standard filters, especially those with charcoal components, are usually adequate.  Typically, the more you are able or willing to spend, the cleaner your water will be.  However a basic filter will screen out most particulates and is usually adequate to provide acceptable water without the expense of fancy reverse osmosis filter systems.

You can adapt large, residential style filters for use as in-line filters to be used to either fill your fresh water tank or connect to your city water inlet. You need plumbing fittings to adapt the inlet and outlet of the filter (usually 1/2" pipe fittings) to hose fittings. This gives you the extra capacity and usually lower cost of the larger filters without the hassle of making a permanent installation. You will need a short piece of potable water hose in addition to your usual hose in order to connect the filter in line. Make sure the filter doesn't hang of the side of the RV or off the faucet. It needs to sit on the ground to avoid damage to the hose or connections. You may want to make some sort of cage or box to contain the filter and keep it from getting kicked or tipped over.  Always place the filter next to the campground pedestal or under your RV so it doesn't become a trip hazard.

And remember to always use hoses rated for potable water.   Ordinary garden hoses might do in a pinch, but they can leech plastic taste into your water -- especially when used as a city water hookup where the water may sit in the hose for long periods of time and may be exposed to sunlight.

Portable water filters are generally designed to provide clean drinking water for one person.  Typical design looks like a water bottle.  They usually have replaceable filters so they can be reused.  Each filter typically handles up to 300 gallons of filtration.  Personal water filters also come in the form of straws you can use to drink directly from a container or a stream.

For tent camping and hiking you can get personal water filters.  Sometimes these consist of a water bottle with a built in filter at a reasonable.   I think I paid about $20-25 for mine. There are even some very compact "drinking straw" filters which are especially convenient when backpacking.  These personal filters let you purify drinking water from just about any source.

For more information about RV water filters see http://www.rvwaterfilterstore.com/.   They offer a variety of filter systems specifically designed for RVs.

With proper filtration you can be sure of fresh, clean water wherever you go.

Drink up!

Fresh Water Tank Care

Fresh water tanks normally require little maintenance, unless you live in an area with freezing temperatures and have to winterize your water system or you fill them with contaminated water.  You will want to flush and possibly sanitize your fresh water tanks after a season of storage or after contamination.  Whether you leave them full, drain them, or winterize them, you may still want to flush and sanitize them before setting out again each year after they've been sitting all winter.  Algae sometimes grows in full tanks and dust, insects, and mildew might accumulate in empty or near empty ones.  You will want to clean out the antifreeze used for winterizing.   It isn't toxic, but it does make the water look, smell, feel, and taste funny.  In any case, flushing and sanitizing takes care of the problem.   If you live where you don't have freezing temperatures, I suggest you store your RV with the fresh water tank full.   That way it is ready if you need or want to use it and, at least in my experience, a full tank doesn't get stagnant as quickly as a partially full one.  Most of the organisms that might foul the water need air so a full tank limits growth by limiting air.

Avoid putting contaminated water into your fresh water tank.   Always fill your tank from a source that is known to be acceptable drinking water quality.  If there is any question, use an appropriate in-line filter.  If you should put contaminated water into your fresh water tank, such as from an unprotected well or spring, flush and sanitize the system as soon as possible to remove any potential micro-organisms and other contaminants.  City water supplies are usually treated to be pretty safe and usually contains enough residual chlorine to protect the water in your tank, but untreated water from private wells or springs may not be.  You might not know if water from a campground is safe or not.  It should be, but an unreported or undetected problem could come up without warning.  If you find your water shows any unusual characteristics, such as being cloudy, muddy, or smelly, it may be contaminated.  You could take sample and have it tested or just empty, sanitize and refill your system from a known safe source.  Always use a hose rated for potable water to fill your fresh water tank.  Ordinary garden hoses may introduce a plastic taste and even toxic chemicals into your water.  NEVER use the same hose you use to rinse your sewer drain hose to fill your fresh water tank!  Doing so is a sure way to contaminate your fresh water with traces of sewage!  I don't know about you, but I sure don't want to drink or wash my hands and face let alone drink water that has even a trace of sewage in it!

Sanitizing a fresh water tank consists of two major steps.   First completely drain the tanks, then use a diluted solution of ordinary household bleach and water to kill any bacteria and remove any stagnant odors.  I've seen recommendations anywhere from 1 teaspoon per 100 gallons up to 1/4 cup of bleach for each 15 gallons of tank capacity.   An easy formula to remember is to add 1 cup of plain, unscented chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of water.   Add the solution to your fresh water tank and fill it.   Drive around a little to mix the solution and clean all the surfaces inside the tank.  Pump it through the lines to all the fixtures.  You should be able to detect a light bleach odor at each fixture.  Then let it sit over night for best results.  Lower concentrations are easier to flush out without leaving a nasty residue.   Higher concentrations will be more reliable at killing offensive bacteria but don't go overboard on the bleach.  The residue left when you empty a bottle of bleach is sufficient to treat a gallon of water, so it doesn't take a lot to sanitize your RV system.  Fill the tank.   Turn on the pump and let water run from each faucet until you can smell the bleach at each one.   If your solution is too weak to smell you may need to add some more bleach.  Driving the unit a few miles will help mix the solution and clean the walls of the tank.  Let it stand for at least 3 or 4 hours.  Overnight is even better.  Drain the diluted bleach solution and flush the tank with clean water.  To ensure there is no bleach residue, fill the tank again with clean water and baking soda.  Mix a 1/2 cup of baking soda in a gallon water, add it to a nearly full tank or, better yet, put it into an empty tank and fill it up.  Drive around a bit to make sure the solution is thoroughly mixed and all the interior surfaces flushed.  Run water through each faucet until the chlorine smell is gone to clean the plumbing.  Driving around a bit will help make sure it reaches all interior surfaces (like to top!) of the tank.  Drain the soda solution and re-fill and flush the tank with fresh water.  If you have any concerns about the water quality you can drain the tank and refill and flush it again with clear water to be sure the soda solution has been thoroughly flushed out. Be sure to drain and flush your hot water heater as well as the fresh water tank, lines, pump, and fixtures.  When you are satisfied that the water coming out of your faucets is acceptable, drain the tank one more time and refill it with fresh water, just to be sure you've gotten rid of all the bleach and soda.

Filling your fresh water tank.  Always fill your fresh water tank from a safe source.  If you have any questions or concerns about sediment or hard water, be sure to use an in-line filter when filling your fresh water tank.  The faucets at dump stations are often contaminated by sewage, so avoid using them to fill your tank.   Most RVs have a gravity fill where you can insert a garden hose or dump in fresh water from containers to fill your tank.  Some older campers and trailers have a pressurized water system that is filled by connecting a hose to a female fitting on the unit.  Filling the tank compresses air in the tank to provide pressure to deliver water to fixtures.  Some units only have a city water connection and use a "Transfer" or "Fill" switch or valve to divert water to fill the tank.   Either way, ALWAYS use a clean, potable water rated hose to fill your fresh water tank.  They are usually white or light blue.  Keep a separate hose of a different color (ordinary garden hose) for rinsing your dump hoses and flushing your holding tanks so they don't get mixed up.  Different colors shouldn't be a problem.  Most potable water hoses are white or light gray with a blue stripe or are light blue.   The most common color for garden hoses is green.  At any rate DO NOT use a hose to fill your fresh water tanks or jugs that has been used to rinse sewer hoses and never use your fresh water hose to rinse sewer hoses.   Just the thought of the contamination that might be transferred into the fresh water supply is enough to make me want to throw up!  A fill attachment for your fill hose will make it easier.  It looks like a short piece of hose, usually clear plastic, with a female hose fitting on one end to connect to your hose.  The other end has no fitting and is usually cut at an angle.  There is usually a shutoff valve on the fitting end.  If not, you can get one at an RV store, hardware store or home and garden center. The open end of the hose is pushed down into the fill port on your RV so you don't have to stand there and hold the hose.  Make sure the filler tube is clean.  When sanitizing a tank with a gravity fill you can usually just dump the bleach or the soda solution into the fill port before adding water.  If your RV doesn't have a gravity fill, sanitizing the fresh water tank will be a little more difficult.   Some folks just use a funnel to fill the fresh water hose with bleach and then hook it up to the faucet to push it through and get it into the tank.  Others prefer a device that siphons the bleach or soda solution from a jug and mixes it with the water as you fill the tank.  These gadgets are typically used to apply lawn and garden fertilizer so you'll probably have to buy them at nurseries or home and garden centers.  Buy one especially for sanitizing your tanks and never use it for applying fertilizer.  Some RVs have design limitations that force the plumbing from the gravity fill port to the fresh water tank to lack sufficient slope for water to flow easily.  If you get a lot of water spilling back out around the hose when filling the tank, this may be your problem.  You may be able to solve it by raising that side of the RV using leveling jacks or leveling blocks.  Another solution that sometimes works is to cut a piece of potable water hose long enough to reach through the filler tube all the way to the tank so you can deliver water directly into the tank.  Cut the piece to preserve the female hose fitting so you can connect it to your regular filler hose.  There should be a vent tube from the tank back to the gravity fill fixture.  Be sure to remove the plug from the vent line so air can escape from the tank as it fills.  If you fail to remove the plug or the vent tube is somehow kinked or blocked air will bubble back through the gravity fill port itself, interrupting the flow of water into the tank.

Fresh water tanks usually don't require any chemical treatments like waste water holding tanks always do but if your water supply is tainted or your tank develops offensive odors, there are products you can get from your RV store to freshen your fresh water tanks such as TastePURE Drinking Water Freshener.   DO NOT use holding tank chemicals in your fresh water tank. They are toxic!  Unless your water begins to smell or taste bad, it probably doesn't need to be treated or flushed and sanitized. If your water supply has lots of minerals in it, you may want to use a filter attached to the hose when filling your tanks or connecting to city water or add an internal filter to your system.  Filtering out minerals and other particles will help keep your fresh water fresh and avoid buildup of junk in your hot water heater, fresh water tank, plumbing, and fixtures.  Most city water supplies contain enough chlorine to keep your fresh water tank safe from bacteria but it may still need to be filtered.   If you fill your tank with untreated well water, you may need to add a small amount of bleach to discourage bacteria growth. A little bleach added each time you fill the tank will help control bacteria growth. If you can smell chlorine at the fixtures, you've put in too much ! Just the residue in a gallon bleach jug after its been emptied is enough to protect a gallon of water if you fill it for storage so it doesn't take a lot to protect a even a full tank of water -- just a few drops per gallon. A tablespoon full should be enough for a 100 gallon tank.

By the way, if you get a bad odor when you turn on a faucet, be sure it is coming from the faucet and is not wafting up from the drain.  I have seen situations where it seemed like the water smelled bad, but it was really just odors in the drain being activated and atomized by water going down the drain.  Sometimes if odors are coming up from a sink drain you only need to run a little water into the drain to fill the P-trap to block odors from the holding tank. Odors from sink drains may also be caused by a stuck or damaged  in-line or cheater vent.  They are usually located under the sink to allow the drain to flow freely when it malfunctions the sink may drain slowly and it can allow odors from the tank to come back up into the RV.

A quick way to check to see if the fresh water tank is actually smelly, is to open the drain valve on the fresh water tank and check the water there.  If it is OK, the problem isn't in the fresh water tank.  But, even if the water in the tank isn't bad, water in the lines or hot water heater may be.  Try running each offending faucet for several minutes with the city water hooked up to flush the lines.  

Another common source of fresh water odors is the hot water heater.  If the odor is only detected or is stronger when the hot water faucet is turned on, the problem is probably the hot water tank.  Warm temperatures create biological and chemical reactions that sometimes result in unpleasant odors, especially if there is any residual antifreeze left in the tank.  Shut off the water heater.  Then connect a hose to your city water inlet and open the drain on the hot water tank.  You'll probably smell bad water for 10-15 minutes before the tank has been cleared of odor causing materials.  Organics in water or left over antifreeze can turn foul from heating the water.  You shouldn't have any problems if you you properly flush the hot water heater and sanitize your fresh water system at the beginning of the season.  If simply flushing the hot water heater doesn't cure the problem you will need to sanitize it using a bleach solution to mitigate any residual odor causing materials.  You may want to follow it by rinsing it with a mixture of baking soda and water to clear away the bleach smell and finish freshening the tank.  While you're at it, check the condition of the anode rod on the drain plug.  These are designed to sacrificial.  That is, to be used up as they protect the exposed steel of the tank.  If there is less than 25% remaining, they need to be replaced.

Hoses for filling your fresh water tank.  You should only use hoses designated for drinking water or potable water to fill you fresh water tank or connect your RV to city water.  Ordinary garden hoses may leach a plastic taste and possibly toxic chemicals into the water.  Potable water hoses are made from compounds that won't contaminate your water supply and some have anti-microbial additives to help prevent grown of mold or mildew.  They are also reinforced to withstand the constant pressure of being used for a city water connection.  Potable water hoses are usually white with a blue stripe or light blue with a white stripe. The packaging will clearly identify it for use for "potable water" or "drinking water", but once it has been removed from the package, the only identifier is the color, which is usually sufficient for owners to tell their drinking water hose(s) from other hoses.   Also NEVER NEVER NEVER use the same hose to fill your fresh water tank and to rinse your dump hose.   Never fill your fresh water tank from the faucet at dump station that is used to rinse sewer hoses.   Even if the water is clean and potable, the chance of the connection being contaminated by dirty hands handling sewer hoses or bad stuff being siphoned back up into the fixture is too great and you may risk getting sick.  Just the thought of ingesting sewage is enough to turn my stomach!   Try to drain all the water out of the hose before storing it back in your RV.  Use end caps or connect the two ends together to prevent bugs from taking up residence in your hose while it is in storage.  Be especially sure your hose is drained before you put your RV into winter storage if you live where you get freezing temperatures.  Water remaining in the hose will freeze and is likely to burst the hose.  When you get out your hose to fill your tanks or connect to campground hookups, connect the faucet end first, turn on the faucet, and let a little water run through to make sure it is clear of any debris or stagnant water before filling the fresh water tank or connecting to the city water connection on the RV.

A quick fill pigtail is a handy accessory for filling gravity fill fresh water tanks.  This consists of a short piece of potable water hose with a female fitting and a shutoff on one end and the other end usually cut at an angle.  Very often the hose is clear so you can watch water flowing through it as you fill the tank.    It goes about a foot down into the fill port and keeps the hose from falling out while filling.  The shutoff lets you turn it off quickly when the tank is full and water begins to overflow.  If you have trouble with water coming back out of the fill opening before the tank is full, you might try making a longer pigtail, one long enough to reach down into the tank.  You  may have to buy a short potable water hose and cut off the male end.

As briefly mentioned above, water filters are often a good idea.  You can get a filter that connects in-line in the hose to filter water that is going either into your fresh water tanks or into the city water connection.  Another convenient way to filter your water is to install a permanent filter so that both water pumped from the fresh water tank and water coming from the city water connection goes through the filter.   That way you always have clean water at your fixtures.   Specialized RV water filters are available at RV supply stores but many RVers have had good luck adapting residential filters and claim they are less expensive.  You can make up connections to put a large residential style filter in line  in your hose to filter water as you fill your tank or deliver water to your city water connection.  You may need some kind of crate or stand to protect it from tipping over and it would be a good idea to place it next to the campground pedestal or under your RV so it doesn't become a trip hazard.

Monitoring fresh water levels is usually done via a monitor panel that displays the status of many on board resources.  Most monitor panels include functions for fresh water, gray water, black water, battery, and propane.   Most of these systems use sensors installed through the wall of the tanks to measure the amount of liquid in the thank.  Sensors in fresh water tanks are less likely to become contaminated and fail or give false readings than those in holding tanks, but hard water deposits can eventually fowl them.  They can be difficult and expensive to repair or replace.  I recently read a review of new monitoring system that uses inductive panels installed on the outside of holding tanks to replace faulty sensors and improve the accuracy and reliability of tank readings.  It is called See Level II and retails for around $235.  Installation is fairly simple if you have access to the side of your tanks.  In a normal installation you would install the new sensor panels near the existing sensors connect them to the old wires.  Then you connect the new panel to the other end of the wires at the original monitor panel.  Other techniques for measuring how much fresh water you have in your tank includes a visual inspection of the tank (if you have access to it) or a siphon based gauge that gives you an external visual representation of the water level by sticking a tube down into the gravity fill and viewing the water level in a tube on the outside of the RV.  To do this you need clear tubing long enough to push all the way to the bottom of the tank, then loop outside down at least to the bottom of the tank, then back up above the top of the the tank.   Since water seeks its own level, the tube should fill to the level of water in the the tank.  If your monitoring panel fails to work, first check all the connections and any related fuses.  Then try to clean the sensors in he tanks.  One easy and safe way to clean a fresh water tank without introducing unsavory chemicals is to put some ice in the tank, then fill it about half way, and drive around a bit.  The ice will scour deposits from the inside of the tank (hopefully including the sensors) and will then melt so you can drain it out.  You will want to thoroughly drain and flush the tank before refilling it with fresh water to eliminate any residue the ice scraped from the tank.

If you don't have an electronic measuring system to check how much water is in the tank you can sometimes view the side of the tank to get an idea.  Lacking access you may be able to fabricate an external gauge from clear plastic tubing.  Insert it into the gravity fill hole far enough to reach to the bottom of the tank and then siphon water out of the tank to fill the tube.  Allow the tubing to hang down at least to the bottom of the tank and lift the open end of the tube above the filler, leaving a loop to the bottom of the tank.  You should then be able to see the water level in the tube.  I installed a light behind the translucent water tank in my enclosed motorcycle trailer, then cut a slot in the front of the paneling in front of the tank so I could easily view the water level whenever I turned on the light.  I used a momentary contact switch so I don't accidentally leave the light on and drain the battery.

Fresh water odors.   Occasionally fresh water systems will develop unpleasant odors.  Sometimes you may get a bleach smell if you've sanitized the system and haven't flushed it adequately.  Fresh water can stagnate if left unused for a long time.  It may begin to host algae or mildew, giving the water a nasty taste.  If you get bad smelling water at a faucet, try opening the drain valve on the fresh water tank and check the water there before flushing the whole system.  I've seen cases where it appeared the water was bad but what was really happening was the water activated nasty odors in the sink drain.  Simply flushing the drain with a bleach solution solved the problem.  The hot water heater is another common source of odors.  The warm water is sometimes an ideal home for microbes that can make your water stink and taste bad.  Fresh water normally doesn't require any special additives.  If you use city water, the water you fill the tank with will already contain a certain amount of chlorine that should protect it against algae etc.  If you fill it from an untreated source, such as a well or spring, you may need to add a bit of bleach to protect it.  It doesn't take much.  The residual bleach in an empty 1 gallon bottle is enough to treat a gallon of water.  I wouldn't use more than about 1/4 cup for an 90-100 gallon water tank, often a tablespoonful is sufficient.  If you get a bleach smell when you turn on a faucet, you've used too much and will need to drain the tank and refill it.  If you have chronic problems with smelly water there are commercial fresh water treatments available most places RV supplies are sold, but I would only use them as a last resort.  Sanitizing and thoroughly flushing fresh water systems are usually all that is needed.

Damaged tanks can be difficult to repair.   They are often made of LDPE plastic, which is highly resistant to solvents and, therefore, cannot be easily patched using solvent based sealants.  LDPE can be welded using plastic welding techniques.  Fortunately fresh water tanks are usually well protected and, unless you allow them to freeze and split, seldom crack.  Unlike waste holding tanks, they are usually not an irregular shape and a tank of similar size and shape can often be found to replace them.  In addition to size and shape the position and style of openings or connections will also be a major concern.  There are usually at least three plumbing connections:  inlet, outlet to the pump, and drain.  Some may also have an overflow port. If you have or want to add a monitor system you will need to install sensors on the tank.  Old style sensors require drilling to install them through the wall of the tank but there are also sensor panels that are glued to the outside for either new installations or to replace failing sensors on existing tanks.

Drink up!

Suburban Survival

No, I'm not talking about the expected longevity, crash resistance, or safety rating of a certain large SUV.   Suburban survival focuses on how to take care of yourself and your family in a suburban environment during a large scale natural or man-made disaster.  That said, the referenced large SUV might play an important part in suburban survival, especially if it has 4 wheel drive and can get you OUT if you have to bug out!

Your RV and/or your camping skills and equipment can be of great value in a disaster situation.   I have often touted the benefits of an RV as a "Disaster Recovery Vehicle" and have actually used my motorhome as such on more than one occasion.   Even having basic camping equipment and skills may be very helpful if your home is unsafe or all the utilities are knocked out. Keeping your RV and camping equipment in good condition and readily accessible in an emergency may be critical to your survival when things go bad.  Having shelter to get in out of bad weather and the ability to prepare meals on a camp stove or campfire could literally be life-saving.  Most suburban homes have a back yard big enough to set up a tent and other campsite amenities and may already have a fire pit or outdoor fireplace  If you don't have any outdoor fire facilities, you an always use your trusty BBQ or perhaps build a primitive campfire.  Many towns and cities ordinarily have stringent regulations about building back yard fires but cooking fires are almost always permitted and any regulations are likely to be suspended, eased, or ignored during an emergency.   If you live in an apartment or condo with limited yard space you might have to seek an alternate location to set up your emergency camp.   Check out your neighborhood ahead of time and identify parks or vacant lots or make arrangements with neighbors with large yards to join them.  If you are stuck in an apartment or condo with a balcony or deck you can probably fire up your BBQ outside on the balcony to prepare emergency meals.  DO NOT use it inside!  The toxic fumes and oxygen consumption can be deadly and it can create a significant fire hazard.

Safety first!   Carefully scope out your situation and take action to ensure your safety and that of your family before doing anything else.   Do not risk re-entering a collapsed building just to grab a few supplies or even to aid trapped victims!   Rescue in a badly damaged building should only be done by trained professionals with the right equipment.  Amateurs with good intentions are likely to become additional victims.  You won't be able to help someone else if you get trapped or injured --  you will only contribute to the problem!  In most disasters, more would-be rescuers are killed by ill-advised attempts to help people than are killed by the initial disaster.  Improper rescue attempts may also jeopardize the safety of trapped victims as well as injuring the would-be rescuers. C.E.R.T. training teaches the first thing you do in any emergency situation is a "size up".  In its simplest definition, "size up" means to "observe someone or something to get information".  Study the situation.  Identify potential hazards. Determine the number and location of victims and, if possible, the extent of their injuries.   Check for things that might cause additional damage or put rescuers at risk.  Look for safe passages to retrieve and transport victims.  If you can't get in and out safely, stay out!  Attempting a dangerous rescue is likely to result in you adding to the problem by becoming an additional victim and that isn't going to help anyone!  C.E.R.T guidelines allow even trained C.E.R.T. volunteers to enter only lightly damaged buildings.  They are prohibited from entering more heavily damaged structures except under the direction of professional rescuers.  How do you know if a building  is heavily damaged?  Sometimes it is obvious.  If the walls are splayed out, the roof caved in, or it is off its foundation,  it is clearly heavily damaged and unsafe to enter without proper safety precautions to stabilize the structure.  Following an earthquake you are likely to see lots of cracks in plaster and stucco.  That is actually normal and, unless there are "X" shaped cracks  below the windows, the structure is probably secure enough for rescue attempts even if there is other cracking -- unless there are additional signs of significant damage as described above.  If you see "X" cracks under the windows, cross it off your list to enter.

Make use of what you have.  In a disaster situation, normal utilities and public services are interrupted.  You may be without electric power, natural gas, water, or sewer service.  The interruption may last for hours, days, or even weeks!   If you find yourself in an emergency situation, take stock of what resources you have on hand -- food, water, clothing, medical supplies, fuel, tools, building materials, and shelter.  Begin immediately collecting or retrieving useful items and organizing them where you can protect them and have access to them when you need them.   You might find it useful to keep some things YOU don't expect to use.  Someone in your neighborhood might need them and you can either donate them to be a good neighbor or use them to barter for things you don't have.

Water supplies are often interrupted during a disaster situation.  City water systems may be damaged and power to run pumps on rural wells may be out.  If you have a safe place to store water for emergencies it is a good idea to so so.  You can usually find room under beds for a few gallon jugs. The water in your toilet tank might be safe (if you don't have one of those blue drop in cleaners in the tank) and you can usually get 40-50 gallons of potable water by draining your hot water heater.  Once you have used the clean water from your toilet tank you can dump dirty water in it to continue to flush the toilets if the sewer system is still in tact.  This will only work with gravity toilets, not the power flush toilets sometimes used in basements.  You can use water from just about any source:  creeks, rivers, lakes, ponds, ditches, gutters, even puddles.  Avoid wasting potable water for flushing toilets!

An RV is a particularly good option for suburban survival -- if you have place close to home to park it.   It is especially convenient and useful if you can park it on your property.  You have a ready-made shelter, complete with beds, heating, cooking, sanitation, and often air conditioning. You have a comfortable bed, cooking facilities, and usually hot water, toilet, and shower.  If you have an on board or portable generator you may be able to supply power to your residential refrigerator and freezer to prevent the loss of food you have on hand.  Keep in mind that in many large-scale disasters, stores will be sold out in a few hours and and have difficulty restocking. You may have to survive 2 weeks or more on what you have on hand.  Your RV is a good place to store non-perishable provisions and, if you're not in freezing weather, fresh water.   Keeping a well-stocked first aid kit in your RV and maintaining your first aid certification helps prepare you for camping and disaster emergencies.  You might augment your camping clothes with a few key survival outfits -- just in case.  Keep in mind you might need clothing and footwear that is sturdier and more durable in a survival situation than for normal camping.

Tent camping skills can be used just about anywhere (unless you live in a high-rise).  Even then you might find respite in a local park -- if thousands of neighbors haven't already beaten you to it.  If utilities are out you might even set up your dome tent indoors so you can take shelter in a protected environment that will help you preserve body heat easier than in a large room.  Having a tent indoors protects it from wind and precipitation, making it even easier to keep it warm inside.  Urbanites have both some advantages and some disadvantages when it comes to disaster survival.   They will usually be the first to get professional search and rescue assistance and may be quickly evacuated to well stocked and well supported civic shelters.  They will also probably be the first to have utilities restored.  Water, gas, and power companies can do the most good for the most people by concentrating on areas with the highest population density.  In urban settings, you may still be able to get to functioning hospitals for medical emergencies.   Urban settings will not usually be good places to set up tents and campfires.  Nor will you have access to natural food and water sources you might have in a suburban or rural environment.  While there may be edible wild plants and possibly game animals in a rural setting, it is unlikely you are going to find anything like that in an urban or suburban environment.  While there might be resources in parks, there will also most likely be fierce competition for them.  That means you'll be dependent on what you have stored.  That includes water as well as food.  You may be able to drain water from your hot water heater or dip it from the tank on your toilet.  The water in the toilet tank should be pure as long as you haven't added cleaning tablets to the tank.  It should go without saying: do NOT use water from the toilet bowl.  Your pets might think it is OK, but it is not an approved source for human consumption.   The very thought of drinking out of toilet is a pretty effective emetic for most people. (An emetic is a substance that induces vomiting).  BTW, once you have used up the fresh water from your toilet tank it is OK to replenish it with non-potable water (from streams, ditches, ponds or even  puddles) so you can continue to flush your toilet (if the sewer system is still in tact).

Practice makes perfect is an age-old proverb that definitely applies to survival.   Fortunately, most of us don't experience disasters on a regular basis so unless we make a deliberate effort to practice our survival skills, they may fail us when a disaster strikes.  Unfortunately, that means our Practicing some survival techniques on every camp out is one way to maintain and develop your skills.   Start your campfire without matches.  In an RV ALWAYS conserve your on board resources (water, power, fuel, etc).  Get in the habit of conserving resources so it comes naturally when you need it.  Some survival skills may not be practical to exercise regularly, such as building an emergency shelter and setting traps.   There aren't many places you can cut trees and branches to practice building a shelter. For these types of skills, renew your knowledge by frequently reading relevant material, watching videos, and creating thought exercises in your mind.  Think about situations you might find your self in and how you would apply your survival knowledge to take care of yourself and your family.   Even if you've never built a survival lean-to or an igloo, practice building them in your mind.   What resources do you need?  Where will you get them?   How do you put them together to create an effective shelter?  How will you decide which direction the open side of a lean-to will face?  Where will you look for food?  Where will you look for water?  Where can you get tinder to get your fire going?   My wife and I played "what if" survival games on a recent road trip, trying to spot potential survival locations and resources along the way.

Escaping your urban or suburban environment may be your best bet in a long term disaster. Preppers call it "bugging out".  Before grabbing your bags and hitting the road, make sure you have a plan and someplace to go.  Just joining the throngs of panicked people fighting to get out of town won't do you much good.  If you know where you're going, you'll need a way to get there.  If the original event was an earthquake, hurricane, tornado or blizzard, chances are many roads will be impassible.   I once counted more than 130 bridges on the commute between my home and work in southern California and every one would be a potential obstacle following an earthquake.  Getting home after a major quake would have been a major problem.  A friend of mine in the Los Angeles area took escape really seriously. He bought a 4x4 Jeep which pretty much just sat in his garage waiting for "The Big One" to hit.  He also kept a 4x4 ATV and learned to fly and sail.  He bought memberships in an airplane and a sail boat.   That was decades ago and, as far as I know, he has yet to make use of any of his escape mechanisms.   I'm not suggesting that you need to go that far, but you should make sure you have fuel for whatever vehicle(s) you might plan to use to get from your home to your survival destination.   My RV and dirt bikes figure prominently in my survival plans.  Since I already live an a rural area I don't expect to have to go far for survival but my RV will be my "Disaster Recovery Vehicle" and my dirt bikes may get pressed into service as "runner" vehicles to exchange status and other information with neighbors and local emergency services organizations.  As a last resort we could drive a long way on damaged roads or off-road to escape pending doom.  Even horses or bicycles might be part of your escape plan.  If all else fails, you may have to walk.  Having some hiking experience and equipment would be useful in that situation.

Have you ever watched the TV show "Survivorman"?  If you have, you will know that, regardless of the physical situation (ocean, desert, jungle, frozen tundra), he ALWAYS stresses the most important aspect of survival: the will to live.  No matter what the situation, your attitude and commitment and mental state will be the greatest factor that determines whether or not you will survive.   People with little survival training have survived against great odds by sheer determination and thoughtful planning.  Some people with extensive survival knowledge have died because they panicked, forgot  or didn't apply their training, or just plain gave up!

You may not have many opportunities to practice suburban survival (at least we hope not!) but you can and should mentally review what you will do in an emergency.  It is the next best thing to actual hands on practice and will help you remember what to do if you ever need it.

And last but not certainly least, seek out C.E.R.T. training.   I've been through the course over a half dozen times to maintain my certification and skills.  C.E.R.T. gives you what you need to know to deal with most urban and suburban disaster situations, covering topics like Disaster Psychology, Light Search and Rescue, Medical Triage, and even some Hazmat instruction. You'll learn how and when to shut of your natural gas, water, and electricity.  You'll be given guidelines for assessing how badly damaged a building is to help you determine whether it is safe to conduct rescue operations therein  You'll be taught how to "size up" a situation quickly and organize and prioritize available resources to do the most good for the most people.  You'll be instructed in how to conduct a "60 second assessment" to help you evaluate a victim's status and assess the extent of their injuries and to triage victims so you can do the most good for the most people.

Survive!

Internet Resources for camping etc.

Internet resources for RV, OHV, camping, and survival information are virtually unlimited.  If you're reading this, you've already found at least one!  There are lots of other blogs and web sites with useful camping and survival information.  Many manufacturers and retailers of relevant equipment and supplies have company web sites that often include helpful general tips in addition to specific information about their products.   Most RV and OHV clubs have their own websites too.  If you need information about a particular brand, product, region, or campground or a specific related topic or activity, enter it in your favorite search engine.  Need information on wilderness survival or wilderness medicine?  You can find it on the Internet in great abundance.   Use your favorite search engine to find articles on just about any subject.   Do it NOW.   Chances are local Internet access will be down during a disaster in your neighborhood and mobile access in the remote areas where you normally find campgrounds will be limited and spotty. 

Buying online.   Many familiar stores can be shopped on line.  Often their online selection exceds what you will find  in the brick-and-mortar retail store.  Many times you can have the item shipped to be picked up at your local store to avoid shipping fees.  The only downside to online shopping is you can't try out or try on items before buying.  Online classified sites are frequently a good place to find bargains on used or vintage items.  Most sellers on Internet sites like ebay and craigslist are legitimate, but like anything else, there are a few bad apples that can spoil things.  Check a sellers feedback on ebay.  If they don't have any or it is mostly negative, you may not want to deal with them.   Those with a lot of positive feedback are usually pretty safe.  Ebay has its own buyer protection program that may ensure you don't get ripped off.   I did get ripped off once, before they offered buyer protection.   I bought a truck bed liner kit and never received it.   When I tried to contact the seller I eventually learned the seller was a teen age boy who had been stiffed by his supplier and there was nothing I could do about it but chalk it up to experience.   Ebay and craigslist are good places to look for bargain prices and to search for rare or obsolete parts and equipment.   But keep in mind that you must enter the highest bid in order to win an auction on ebay.   In some ways that means you must be willing to pay more than anyone else in the world to win your item!   But, unless you allow yourself to be drawn into a bidding war, you will usually get good value on ebay.   You can make online purchases from many retail stores too and save a "trip to town".  Always consider the shipping cost.  Some stores, like Walmart for example, will let you buy online and then pick it up in your local store with no shipping charges. So why buy it online in the first place?  By doing so, you can be sure it will there waiting for you and won't be sold out when you get there and some online items aren't available in the stores.   And you don't have to search the store to find it.   Just go to the Internet will call desk.

The technical support groups for major manufacturers are usually an excellent source of useful information.   You can contact them online or call them.   I have been pleased with the response I've gotten on several occasions, including an engineer at a converter company who advised me to buy an automotive battery charger instead of upgrading the failed charger built in to my converter.   The chargers in most converters are not built to sustain batteries the way a good multi-stage charger does anyway.  I was also able to learn what the correct charging voltage should be and discovered that mine, at 18+ volts, was boiling my house batteries.  I disconnected the faulty charging circuit and used an external charger until I could upgrade the whole converter to a new model converter with a multi-stage controller.

When you ask for help in a search engine sometimes you may be offered an opportunity to buy answers from online technicians.  Some of these guys are licensed, some of them are not. Sometimes they know what they're talking about, sometimes they don't.   They are usually experienced experts in their field.   The fee is usually pretty nominal and my personal experience with this kind of service so far has been good.  I've solved some RV problems with their help without having to drive it in and pay high hourly diagnostic rates at a dealership.  Check feedback and credentials if you can before you send any payments.  It is a little uncomfortable paying up front, but my personal experience with these services has been positive so far.

Online books and manuals.   You may find useful extracts and sometimes even the complete text of useful books and manuals on line.  This can be especially helpful if you are in need of technical specs or parts lists for obsolete equipment.  You may also find out where to buy or order printed manuals for future use.

Blogs, forums, and use groups are another good source of information.  I hope you are finding this blog useful.  Internet sharing through blogs, forums, and use groups gives us all access to worldwide resources where we can take advantage of the experiences -- and the mistakes and bright ideas -- of thousands of other people.   I've found free advice on several subjects ranging from the restoration and mounting of a vintage bench vice to residential roofing repairs and RV plumbing questions.

Online search engines are an incredible resource.   With them you get instant access to thousands of sources of information related to your search.  Often the results will be overwhelming and you'll have to refine your search criteria to zero in on what you're looking for.  I have noticed that recently almost all search engines are returning a lot of unrelated stuff and often seem to loop back to the same search when I click a result.  They didn't use to do that.  I think it may be a side effect of search engine optimization.  You may have to be patient and persistent to get the results you want.   Look for ways to make  your search as specific as possible to reduce the clutter.

Be imaginative in your searches. Y ou may find useful survival tips by researching the lives and practices of mountain men or discover excellent camping meals under "pioneer cooking".  Searches for tents and sleeping bags will probably yield more information than you can even read, let alone absorb.  Sometimes you may have to narrow your search to keep it manageable and get down to what you want to know.

Archives of "Survivorman" episodes are available on several web sites.   I've watched every "Survivorman" episode at least two or three times.   Even though you may never expect to find yourself stuck in the Arctic tundra or stranded in an African or Amazon jungle, his techniques and advice have many applications and he demonstrates that you CAN survive in a multitude of inhospitable environments.   Having done a lot of desert camping and riding I found his desert episodes right on.   I appreciate that he isn't afraid to admit when he makes a mistake himself. Hopefully we can learn from his experiences.   And, by the way, unlike some other "survivor" shows, Les's adventures are NOT staged or faked.   He does solicit expert advice about each area he visits so he is prepared, but everything you see him do is real.  And I like it that he shares his mistakes and failures (like when he set his survival shelter on fire!) as well as his successes.  Sometimes it is good to learn what NOT to do.   Some other "survivor" shows deliver more dramatic and exciting content, but it has been shown that they are staged.  The main actor even spent the night in a comfortable hotel nearby and not in his survival shelter.  A little broadening of some their "remote location" shots showed they were within a few hundred yards of a busy highway!   Les has to live by his wits and live with his own mistakes, like accidentally setting his shelter on fire in one episode.  I would rather have honesty than a dramatic story.

Government agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and state and county parks departments often have web sites that can help you identify campgrounds and other recreational opportunities.  It is always a good idea to check the rules and regulations for your destination to be sure you aren't counting on being able to do something that is prohibited.  OHVs are prohibited in some campgrounds even though there are legal trails nearby.  You may or may not be able to discharge fire arms and there are often restrictions on alcohol consumption.  There may also be seasonal fire restrictions.  OHV trails are sometimes closed after the winter until log falls can be cleared and wet sections can dry up enough to be passable with permanently damaging the terrain.  It is always better to know ahead of time about any kind of restrictions rather than be turned away or end up breaking the rules and facing expensive fines.

Check it out online!

Hygiene and Sanitation Options for Tent Camping and Survival

One of the fundamental features of RVs that is so appealing to people is how they emulate many the conveniences of home.  On board systems provide sleeping, cooking, water, climate control, and bathroom services.   But you don't have those same built in facilities when tent camping or in a wilderness survival situation.

Campground facilities can sometimes be used.   Commercial campgrounds often have full service restrooms with flush toilets, sinks, and hot showers.  More primitive places may have only a few central water faucets and some pit toilets -- or just pit toilets, which are usually adequate (though often quite nasty!) for most tent camping needs.  However, if you choose to take advantage of boondocking in "open camping" and other primitive areas such as those offered by the BLM in many locations and by forest services in some areas, you will be dependent on what you bring with you.

Boondocking options are limited to what you can reasonably transport along with your regular camping equipment.   The most basic tools for personal hygiene and washing dishes is a water jug and a small, plastic dishpan.  If you want hot water for dishes, washing, shaving, etc, you can heat it in a pan or teapot on your campfire or camp stove.   For more convenience there are portable sinks, some with built-in water reservoirs and manual pumps that make them pretty easy to use.  In some cases you may be able to dig your own latrine for temporary toilet facilities.  A really simple toilet option that I've seen used in truck campers and very small camping trailers, is a folding toilet.  It consists of a toilet seat with legs that fold up like a camp stool.  Plastic bags are fastened underneath the seat to collect wastes for proper disposal.  It is not the ideal solution, but is far more convenient and familiar than an open latrine.   For a more home-like solution, get a "Port-a-potty".  These are made of plastic and the box-like construction includes a built-in clean water reservoir and pump and a small holding tank.  The lid is usually padded so they can be used as an ordinary seat or footrest when not in actual use as a toilet.   Some other variations, often offered as disaster toilets, are seats that attach to an ordinary plastic 5-gallon bucket.  I've seen some that fasten into the hitch receiver on the back of a tow vehicle.  No doubt these are much sturdier than the folding type if there is any question of sturdiness.   Port-a-pottys require chemicals like those used in RV holding tanks to break down wastes and control odors and must be dumped in toilets or in approved dump stations.  Dumping chemically treated wastes in some pit toilets or septic systems may be prohibited because the chemicals interfere with the normal process in the system.   Holding tank chemicals may be used in plastic bags on folding portable toilets and bucket toilets to reduce odors.  You can buy special waste collection and disposal bags called "wag bags" that  contain a  gel to control odors and reduce spillage.

Disposal of gray water usually isn't a major problem.  Many primitive campgrounds provide sumps where dishpans can be safely dumped.   These are often old perforated 55 gallon drums buried in the ground and partially filled with sand and gravel.  If the campground has any sewer plumbing at all, you may be able to dump dishpans down a sink drain or toilet (check with your camp host first).   Always follow the posted guidelines you will usually find near a common sink in a campground.  When boondocking in remote areas, you may be able to dump lightly contaminated water onto the ground, but check with the land manager prior to exercising this option.   In many places dumping of ANY waste water onto the ground is strictly prohibited.  If it is allowed, make sure you are a safe distance from any spring, stream, lake, or well (usually at least 200 feet) and dump it where it won't flow onto any camp site, trail, or road.

Toilet wastes can only be disposed of in a toilet or an approved dump station.  Even dumping Porta-a-pottys into a pit toilet may cause problems and may be prohibited.  NEVER empty your Porta-a-potty onto or into the ground!   If you happen to be tent camping in a site with full RV hookups, do not attempt to dump your Porta-a-potty into the sewer connection at the site.  These connections do not include a catch basin to prevent ground contamination.  Some portable toilets may have a connection for an RV style dump hose and those might be used successfully in a sewer connection, but take extra care to ensure the hose doesn't slip out of the sewer pipe while you are emptying your toilet.   You won't like cleaning up the mess it makes!

Portable hot water heaters add a level of comfort and convenience seldom found in tent camping until the last few years.   Until they came out, you had to heat your water in pans on your campfire or camp stove.   That worked OK for doing dishes and shaving, but was pretty inconvenient for showers or bathing.  Propane powered portable hot water heaters can be hooked up to provide home-like showers.  You'll probably need a shower enclosure, an inexpensive self-standing 360 degree shower curtain that provides enough privacy to enjoy your hot shower.

Sun showers are a very economical and ecological option.  They consist of a plastic bag, usually about 3 gallons, that is left out to be heated by the sun.  Putting it on the hood of your car is a good place for it to get full sun and be safe.  When you're ready to use it, hang it high enough to use the attached hose and shower head.  You may also want to use a shower enclosure for privacy, depending on just how remote your camp site is.

Food wastes should be incinerated or placed in tightly closed plastic bags.  That includes scraps from meal preparation and any left overs from plates at the end of the meal.  Food wastes can attract unwanted visitors from the local fauna, including large and dangerous animals such as bears as well as pests such as ants and rodents.  Another option is to dispose of food wastes in your campfire so there are no scraps left to attract pests.  I find using paper plates a good way to reduce washing dishes -- and an easy way to dispose of scraps by putting the whole mess into a roaring fire . Just make sure what you're burning will not create obnoxious fumes for your fellow campers around the fire.

Portable sinks can make life in camp more comfortable.  A simple plastic wash basin or dishpan will provide minimum functionality.   You can pick up a sink stand at a military surplus store.  It folds flat, like an old camp stool for transport and storage, but securely holds a large plastic bowl when opened. I have a portable sink I bought years ago.  Glad I did.   I haven't seen any more like it since then and the closest ones I've found on the Internet are pretty pricey.  It is molded into a water jug so it has its own reservoir built in.   It is about the size of a 5-gallon water jug. A  small hand-operated plastic pump pumps water from the reservoir through the faucet for brushing your teeth, shaving, and washing up.  A hose connected to the drain on the bottom of the sink carries away waste water to a bucket under your table.  An quick Internet search revealed a variety of portable sink options, ranging from simple manually pumped ones more or less like mine to large ones with battery operated pumps that give you near residential functionality.  They're not cheap. Even the manual, self contained version runs about $75-80.  Or you can make your own. I've seen people cut on opening in a portable portable plastic picnic table to accommodate a plastic dishpan, then add a faucet and hook it up to a campground faucet using a potable water hose.  If you want hot water, you'll need to heat it in a pan on your camp stove or campfire or break down and buy a portable hot water heater.  A water jug and a simple battery operated pump can add convenience.   Some portable camp kitchens have a sink option, making food preparation and doing dishes a lot easier.

Wet wipes are convenient for quick touch ups between showers.  Sometimes you can buy generic wet wipes or baby wipes at dollar stores, so they don't have to be expensive.   Make sure you dispose of them properly when you've finished using them.  They don't break down well in Porta-Pottys and RV sewer systems.

Cat baths are a good way to clean up when tent camping.  All you need is a small pan or pool of water and a sponge or rag and a towel -- or some wet wipes.  Cat baths won't be very effective in handling large amounts of dirt and grime but can take care of dirt normally accumulated in routine daily activities.

Hand sanitizer is a quick and easy way to make sure your hands aren't contaminated with dangerous germs when eating or preparing food.  You can usually find several different sized containers at your local dollar store, making it cheap and easy to provide individual bottles for each person.

Survival hygiene.  If you find yourself in survival mode, you'll probably have little or no hygiene supplies with you.   Wash up in a stream or lake if you get the chance.  Fine sand or silt might help remove grease or heavy grime.  Lacking sufficient water for any kind of clean up, air or smoke showers will help freshen your body and your clothes.  Both sunlight and smoke can kill offensive and unhealthy bacteria.  To take an air shower remove as much clothing as modesty permits and expose your body to fresh air and sunlight.  Take care not go get sunburned!  For a smoke shower, add punky wood, sage brush, or green leaves or branches to your fire, then let the smoke flow over your body.  The smoke will help kill bacteria that causes odors and disease and burning sage brush or pine boughs will add a pleasant fragrance that can further disquise body odors. You can chew pine or juniper needles to help clean your mouth.  Doesn't taste very good (kind of bitter), but it does kill bacteria and clean your teeth.  Don't swallow.   If you need leaves for toilet paper, be sure to test them on your arm about an hour before using them to avoid some VERY unpleasant itches and rashes in sensitive places!  Crush or fold the leaves and rub some of the juice on bare skin.   If there are no problems within an hour, they should be safe to use.  Far better to deal with skin irritations on your arm where you can treat them than on more sensitive and remote body parts.  You can add ashes from your campfire to greasy pans to create a rudimentary sort of soap to help clean them.  Here is  link for making homemade soap from ashes and animal fat.  Here is a Youtube video that shows how.  Simply using ashes to scrub greasy pans is a kind of short cut and may be useful for quick cleanups in a survival situation.

Clean up!

Leading A Trek or Choosing a Trek Leader

Many RV, OHV, and camping adventures need someone to lead the way.   Leading a caravan to the campground requires someone who knows the roads and landmarks.  You want to make sure your leader is well qualified and knows what he/she is doing -- especially if it is YOU!  Often the places we go for camping and OHV riding aren't well marked by road signs so you need someone who can recognize the natural landmarks and get you there without unnecessary detours and delays.  It has been said there are two ways of becoming a leader:  1) do something special and get people to follow you or 2) find a group that is going somewhere and get out in front of them.  Leading a group on or off road requires a lot more than just being out in front.   A leader needs to choose a route that is safe and appropriate for the skills and equipment of those following him.  A leader also needs to keep track of everyone in his/her group.  One of the best practices for this is for each person in the group to take responsibility for the person behind them.  Each time you make a turn, make sure the person behind you makes the same turn before you continue out of sight.  These principles apply to caravaning on the highway, horseback rides, OHV rides, boating, and hiking.

Choose your leaders carefully and be careful about volunteering to lead.  An inexperienced leader can get a group into a lot of trouble.  You don't want to follow someone who doesn't know where they're going and for sure you don't want to be the one who leads people astray!   One of our pleasant rides in the Mojave Desert turned into a bit more of a challenge than we had planned when we allowed one of our supposedly senior riders to assume the lead on our way back to camp.  Instead of returning via the same route we had taken on the way out, he decided it would be fun to see some different scenery.  Eventually he became disoriented and had to rely on his map to continue. Unfortunately, either the map was out of date or inaccurate or he wasn't reading it right.   What he thought was an ATV trail over a small hill on the map turned out to be little more than a wild goat trail.  We nearly seized at least one bike trying to get enough traction to reach the top of the hill. The back side wasn't any better and, instead of finding a well-defined ATV trail we expected to take us to the dirt road back to camp we found another goat trail that dropped us into a canyon and a dry creek bed with boulders the size of Volkswagens -- and NO trail.  By this time were were committed.  There was no way we could make it back up the goat trail we had come down so we had to find another way out.  Fortunately, some of the riders had a pretty good sense of direction and we were able to pick our way down the creek bed until we finally did hook up with the road to our camp a couple of hours later.   An honest review of our afternoon adventure determined we had misread the map.   What our "leader" had thought was an ATV trail was really just an animal trail a few miles before turn off to the ATV trail, one that led us into uncharted wilderness.  I learned later that the fellow who got us into this precarious situation had a reputation for getting lost, so we should have known better than to follow him in the first place.   He insisted he knew where he was and where he was going this time and with no one in the group with enough experience in that particular riding area to challenge or dispute him, we allowed him to lead us no where!   Another lesson to be learned from this story, is to turn back BEFORE it is too late.  In this case, our 20-20 hindsight tells us we should have turned back when we reached the top of that first hill (if not before) and saw there was no real trail on the back side.  We could have slipped and slided our way back down to the main road and found another, more appropriate route, maybe even the trail we were looking for.   By the time we got to the bottom of the back side of the hill, it was too late to turn back.  It would have been nearly impossible to get the bikes back up the back side of that hill.

Leading an RV caravan or other vehicle convoy on the highway is usually pretty straight forward and not much of a problem as long as the leader knows where he or she is going and everyone can keep up.  Modern GPS navigation systems take most of the guesswork out of traveling -- at least on established roads.  However, there are some things that the leader needs to take into consideration. The size of all the vehicles in the group will create some limitations.  Large vehicles may exceed the height, weight, and length restrictions on some parts of the route, such as bridges, tunnels, and twisty, narrow roads.   Some tunnels prohibit vehicles equipped with propane tanks so you'll have to find another way around for RVs.  Bridges on many country and forest service roads have height and weight limits.  Some roads and many campgrounds have length restrictions.   You also need to be aware of fuel requirements.  You may have both gasoline and diesel powered rigs in your convoy. Large motorhomes pulling boats or trailers will probably need to fuel up at truck stops where they can maneuver while smaller vehicles may be able to take advantage of just about any gas station. Find out the fuel capacities and range of each vehicle so you can plan appropriate fuel stops.  Just because YOU might have a 400 mile range doesn't mean everyone does.  Are any vehicles overloaded or under powered to the point where climbing grades will be a problem?  You may need to alter your route to avoid steep grades or allow extra time for slow vehicles.  You also need to plan rest stops based on the physical and/or medical needs of people in your group.   Families with very young children or elderly travelers may need more frequent stops than a bunch of college students or yuppies.  Will anyone in the group require specialized ADA access to facilities?

Leading an off-road adventure puts a lot more responsibility on the man/woman up front. When leading a group hiking, horseback riding, or OHV riding, you need to know the experience, strength, and endurance level of each individual in the group and the capabilities of any equipment they use.  When hiking, you'll be primarily concerned with the experience, strength, end endurance of each individual.  When leading an equestrian ride you'll need to have some idea of the strength, endurance, and capabilities of the horses as well.  You'll need to know if any of the steeds have special needs or any phobias that might limit the terrain they can successfully negotiate.  When leading an OHV ride, you need to know the types and capabilities of the vehicles, the fuel capacity and range, and the skill and experience of the riders.  In any case, you will need to select a route that is within the capabilities of your group.   If your preferred route has particularly technical or difficult sections you may need to select an alternate route based on the participants skill level -- or plan for alternate paths around the difficult sections.   Taking the experts over a difficult hill climb and sending the novices around to meet you on the other side is a common practice to ensure everyone has a good time and is able to reach your destination safely. You would do well to always have an potential leader in mind to lead the alternate course.  On any outing, you'll be better off adjusting your route and pace to the group.   In the long run it will be a lot faster and more fun for everyone than having to carry someone back to camp if they are injured.   You'll want to include enough technical trails to keep it interesting, but not overwhelm the less experienced participants. Sometimes you can turn a ride or a hike into a "skill builder", carefully stretching the limits of your followers.  Take care NOT to draw them into activities that are way beyond their capabilities and be prepared to give them the support they need to learn new skills.  Want to teach them hill climbs?  Do some easy ones first and see how they do before tackling a serious slope.

The routes a leader chooses will depend on the type of machines in the group and the age, experience, and skill of the riders.   Single track trails are a lot of fun for dirt bikers but are often not negotiable by 3- and 4-wheeled ATVs.  Roads that are suitable for ATVs and UTVs may be boring for dirt bikers.  Technical trails, with steep hill climbs, water crossings, and tight switchbacks are fun for experienced riders but could spell disaster for novices.  Young riders on small vehicles require special consideration.   Regardless of the rider's skill, the size of the wheels and the available power may seriously limit where they can go.

Exploring new trails is always fun.   However, traversing unfamiliar routes brings added risks. Learn as much as you can from maps and from other users before you start out.   If the going gets too rough for any part of your group, you may have to be prepared to turn around and go back or find a way around difficult sections.   Make sure any maps you use are up to date and that you know how to read them correctly.  As a participant, be careful who you follow and try to keep up with the group -- or let them know if you aren't comfortable with the pace or the route.

Riding sweep refers to the last person in a convoy or group.  The sweep is almost as important as the ride leader.  The person riding sweep should have nearly as much experience in the area as the leader. This person picks up stragglers and may be required to assist with medical or mechanical problems to help them get back on the road or trail.  In some cases, they may need to guide lost or disabled participants back to camp.  The sweep rider and ride leader should coordinate at the beginning of each trek and at each intermediate rest stop.   Being in radio contact during the journey is also very helpful.  CBs and FRS walkie-talkies are usually adequate in most terrain..  The sweep rider can help the leader adjust the pace or the route to better suit the riders in the group.  Having to alter a planned route because of unskilled participants is annoying, but not nearly as annoying and troublesome as having to rescue them when they get in trouble!   Being the last one in a group of OHV riders is not a good place for novices. Riding sweep for an RV caravan or a convoy of tent campers is not quite as demanding, but you still need someone at the rear to take care of stragglers.  Ideally, the sweep will have 2-way communication with the leader.  If not, the leader must make regular stops and wait for the sweep to catch up to make sure no one gets lost or left behind.   When I first started riding with my Desert Rat group I fell in as sweep so I could keep an eye on my kids.  It wasn't until several years later that I learned how flattering it was to have been allowed to ride sweep.  I thought I was just keeping out of everyone's way.  Fortunately, my mechanical and medical skills plus an innate sense of direction let me handle the job adequately.

Communications on the road or on the trail can be very important.  At one time travelers were limited to line-of-sight visual signals or horns and whistles to contact each other. Indians used smoke signals and cavalry sometimes used gun shots.   Ships at sea used semaphores.  Today's two-way radios give us the ability to talk to each other on the road or trail or to contact our base camp if we need assistance.  Most two-way radios require line-of-sight pathways for the signal.  Mountains or even large buildings can interfere with signals.  As a minimum, it is good for the leader and the sweep to be able to communicate with each other.  That way, the group can be alerted to wait for someone who has become ill or injured or experienced equipment problems.  Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS), and Citizens Band (CB) radios are fairly economical and easy to use.   FRS and CB don't requite a license.  GMRS radios do, at least on certain frequencies and power levels.  GMRS radios share some channels with FRS and can be used on FRS frequencies at the low power setting without a license.  Amateur (Ham) radios are more powerful, more expensive and require an FCC license.  The use of headphones, push to talk (PTT) microphones, and voice operated transmission (VOX) options may make the use of two-way radios more convenient, especially when operating a vehicle.  A popular and convenient two-way radio for rider to rider communications is the helmet-mounted "Sidewinder", which operates in the FRS band. It is surprising how well VOX systems work, given the high ambient noise level of dirt bikes and other OHVs.  However, VOX systems may be accidentally activated with embarassing results when riders verbally express their dislike for situations or other riders they encounter.  FRS and GMRS radios typically have a range of about 2 miles.  CBs may reach 4-5 miles.   HAM radios sometimes bounce signals off high altitude atmospheric conditions and, with sufficient power, can transmit for thousands of miles.  HAM radio operators sometimes compete to see who can reach the most distant contacts, thousands of miles away using something called "skip".  This is not a particularly useful feature for communicating with people in your group or even in reaching your base camp.  For that you still need line-of-sight contact.   FRS, GMRS, and CB radios are usually the better choice and are far less expensive.   And, unless you use the high power channels and option on GMRS systems, you don't need an FCC license.

Lead on!